In Pixar We Trust

In Pixar We Trust
Ben Around
June 27, 2008

Let's lay some confusion to rest. 'Shrek,' 'Over the Hedge,' 'Barnyard,' 'Shark Tale,' 'Chicken Little,' 'Happy Feet,' 'Madagascar,' 'Ice Age' or 'Bee Movie' — none of the aforementioned titles fall into the nearly flawless category of what we know as Pixar movies.

To clarify, the Disney/Pixar feature collaborations include 'Toy Story,' 'A Bug's Life,' 'Toy Story 2,' 'Monsters, Inc.,' 'Finding Nemo,' 'The Incredibles,' 'Cars' and 'Ratatouille.'

Last summer, while steamrolling through movie trailers online, I came upon a teaser that struck me as peculiar and effective. It opened with a live single shot of a filmmaker named Andrew Stanton (writer, director, brainchild behind 'Finding Nemo') telling the story of the original Pixar creative team discussing future projects after wrapping its first feature, 'Toy Story.'

After listing one bullseye after the other, Stanton introduced the final idea they conceived, about a robot named Wall-E.

What struck me about the trailer was Stanton's haunting appearance set to mystical Thomas Newman notes. I can't recall another time where a filmmaker appeared in a trailer for his own movie let alone pulled it off with imposing gusto, the way Stanton did last summer.

In 2003, when the 'Finding Nemo' DVD hit the shelves, I took a week or so to not only watch the entire film eleven times (literally) but to also explore the special features documenting just how much sweat Stanton poured into this art child he'd conceived years before. From the initial pitch to putting the finishing touches on whale effects, he saw that every last hair was neatly trimmed prior to its summer release.

Viewing Stanton's work ethic left a lasting impression, reassuring me that the creators of what we see on the silver screen sometimes put more into the product than we deserve. This red-haired, bespectacled, clean-shaven director even looked different in his introduction. This time, he was long-haired and bearded; his eyes had aged what looked to be ten years (double the time since his last film), suggesting he'd again been up to something big.

So seeing Stanton appear in his trailer pledged to me that Pixar's next might not just top his first movie, but perhaps be the film to top 'Nemo' and last year's best movie, Brad Bird's 'Ratatouille.' The only filmmaker who could pull off what Stanton did may be Steven Spielberg.

Maybe one thing audiences have learned in the last 13 years is they can trust this seemingly perfect collaboration between Disney and Pixar with every release — even the short films that precede the features stand as milestone achievements in animation and storytelling. With only eight features released, Pixar's total domestic gross rounds out at just under $2 billion, with no single film falling below $162 million.

What sets this studio apart creatively, aside from the fact that their animation presents a 3-D experience, the stories and characters themselves are just as three-dimensional, offering memorable experiences that contend with heralded live-action features at the highest level.

Is this to say that Pixar has an undefeated track record both financially and artistically? Financially, maybe, but I've spotted just one blemish regarding the quality of their creative achievements. 2006's 'Cars' felt a bit underwhelming even during the opening credits where we suffered through a Sheryl Crow song accompanying a NASCAR-like race. Some might argue that even with the narrative flaws that film had, the overall experience oozed enough Pixar magic to keep things satisfactory. I wish I could say the same, but when you're batting 7½ for eight on this playing field, complaints cower in a lonely corner.

While some of the previously mentioned, non-Pixar computer animated films possess their fair share of laughs, thrills and artistic merits, they'll sadly always have to bow to the empire that might have saved Disney's creative persona.

Today, I'll see 'Wall-E,' which is said to stress physical behavior and performance in its characters as opposed to the overload of pop culture-ridden, innuendo-filled dialogue you'll find in the quasi-hip 'Shrek' movies. While its praises can't officially be sung because I haven't seen the film, its release only reminds me how thankful I am for Pixar's output of excellence for more than a decade.

Along with 'Iron Man' and 'Pineapple Express,' this marks one of my 'surefire' bets for the summer; and we know now where I stand on the first of the three. I'm sure I'll see you there. All hail Pixar.

Other things to do this weekend:

'Wanted' at the Cobb Hollywood 16 - Once the kiddies get tucked in and start dreaming little dreams about 'Wall-E,' grown folks can kick things into fifth gear with this high-octane, ultra-violent action yarn starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and 'Atonement' heartthrob James McAvoy as a gang of assassins who can manipulate the movement of bullets and look really cool while doing it! Early trailers suggested this would reach new heights of ridiculousness at the movies, and the latest buzz doesn't dispute that. But it seems most critics who have caught early screenings dig the stylish shoot-em-up atmosphere offered by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov.

Josh Kavanaugh and friends at Mugshots, Saturday - While his brothers Kris and Kevin tore things up in and around The Booth in the band Reaux Jam Beau, Black Warrior native and jazz guitarist Josh Kavanaugh has evolved into a virtuoso guitarist in his own right. Tomorrow, he and two other local artists, Landis Lee (drums) and Tim Davis (keyboards) will provide the shuffleboarders with plenty of background jazz and funk that'll find its way to the forefront with plenty of plucking and pounding.

Ashfest at Egan's tonight - Catch the final leg of this festival of local bands celebrating the bar's preeminent employee. You're in for a tonal treat tonight when Shake It Like a Caveman, Ham Bagby & the Siege, The Cancers, Silver Lions 20/20 and Baak Gwai hit the back of the room. Always offering a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, this venue puts the spotlight on local bands who take chances.